Arranging political rallies and processions by blocking streets has now become a common scenario in the capital and other cities of the country. All the political parties including Awami League, BNP, Jatiyo Party, along with Islamic and leftist parties choose streets to demonstrate their political programs. As a result, all the people, including ill-patients, women and children suffer from intense traffic jam. Hence, the authorities concerned suggested arranging political programs in specific places instead of doing it by blocking the roads. Especially, these kinds of programs create deadlock in the capital.

On Sunday, there was heavy traffic jam in the capital even on holiday as on this day people spend busy times in going to recreation centers with family, purchasing necessary items from the markets. However, because of the counter programs of political parties, people’s daily life is hampered a lot. Political parties have fixed various programs ahead of next parliamentary election and the mass people seemed to be hostage of their program schedules.

In addition, Dhaka City North BNP held march program in Uttara of the capital. At the same time, its south-wing also held the same program at Gopibagh and Nayabazar areas of old part of the city. Furthermore, Bangladesh Liberal Democratic Party held the march prgram in Malibagh intersection. Hence, huge traffic congestion was ultimate result.

The Left-democratic Alliance held a protest rally against price hike on February 12. Jatiyo Party also held counter-programs in response to BNP’s march program. Its not only the scenario of a day, but also visible all the year round. Sometimes, chaos and violence are formed from even the peace processions, which lead to loss of lives and properties.

Hence, architects, urban planners and civil society suggest arranging political programs in some specific places rather than doing it by creating obstacles in the roads. In this regard, they talked to The Bangladesh Pratidin.

Educationist and novelist Syed Manzurul Islam said, “The political parties have to leave the tendency of holding rallies and processions in streets. I think the political parties haven’t able to come out of the traditional thinking and their thinking also hasn’t developed. Though we’re living in digital Bangladesh, but we haven’t being transformed ourselves digitally. Why rallies, processions have to be held on streets and fields in this age of facebook and media.

The leaders of political parties can give their speech to people via social media instead of doing it in rallies and people can hear it from home. At the same time, a proposal should be raised for not gluing the posters on the walls or the establishments of the cities. The parties can make a digital board where they can present their posters. Not only development is expected, but also development in political attitudes is needed.”

According to Manzurul Islam, the political parties should arrange rallies digitally and telecast their programs through facebook live, twitter and instagram. Besides, they have to keep themselves away from political programs for just showing up.

General Secretary of Citizens for Good Governance (Shujon), Dr Badiul Alam Majumder said, “The plotical parties shouldn’t hold programs in such places that create mass-sufferings. Rather it should be done in specific places. The street-based political movements create violence, traffic congestions and mass-sufferings. We’ve to get out of it. The political discussion and dialogues should be done in discussion tables and parliament. Arranging programs by blocking streets should be avoided and it can be done digitally.”

People have to suffer a lot due to the traffics created around multiple political programs in the capital Dhaka due to which the urban planner architect Iqbal Habib has given an opinion in favor of limiting the political programs in the streets of the capital to some extent.

Iqbal Habib said, “Citizens of a city cannot grow without mental-physical and cultural development. I suggest limiting the political agenda to some extent for the sake of citizen growth.”

“People go out of the house for entertainment from time to time during holidays. But we have not been able to create open recreational spaces for citizens. Even in the few open spaces, if political programs are constantly going on; where will the people of this city go?”

“Even on the day of the holiday, political programs are held on the streets of Dhaka. Even if you leave home, there is no guarantee when you will be able to return home. In this way, the generation we are creating will develop a hatred to politics. Due to which they will want to stay away from politics. If politics is for the people then such a political program cannot be desirable at all,” he said.

“Political parties should leave the main roads and organize the programs. Whether such a program can be done in a specific place or not has also come to the time of thinking,” he added.

@The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on February 18 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque